MTA officials have an original idea to deal with subway flooding during heavy rain. Rather than run off untreated water into the harbor that surrounds the city, the MTA is thinking of building giant underground reservoirs to store excess water at places like Parsons Blvd. in Queens, which has a spillover effect, so to speak, on the rest of the subway system. Hours after a downpour, huge puddles of rainwater remain near the Parsons Blvd. station.
Subway flooding is a problem familiar to all New Yorkers. Heavy rains virtually ensure that disruptions in service will occur. The city's working on the problem. Mayor Bloomberg put a panel together to discuss sustainability and Riverkeepers' representative suggested designing green rooftops on bus depots and other buildings to absorb rainwater during heavy storms. A more practical solution may involve street furniture that elevates sidewalk drains from pouring flooded water into the subway system.
In the meantime, local horse sense seems to be the key. "'If it's raining, I don't even take the train," said Lavern Moore, 40, a teacher who's been using the station for 10 years. 'You're asking for trouble.'"
